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Big Data Manipulation - Fast, Flexible, Affordable  
 
CoSort Version 9 brings speed, ease, versaility and value to large file processing.

Summary
The world's first commercial sort software for open systems furthers the state-of-the-art with more speed, and the broadest array of simultaneous data manipulation capabilities:

• Parallel Data Transformations
• File and Data Type Conversions
• Field Protections (AES-256, De-ID)
• Batch, Summary, and Delta Reporting

Use CoSort for: mainframe sort and data migration projects; data warehouse ETL operations; database reorgs; business intelligence needs; compliance with privacy regulations; and, application development.
Selected Features
• Parallel sort, sum, reformat engine
• Easy 4GL for data staging, reporting
• Multi-file joins, dimensional lookups
• Field-level protections for data at risk
• Custom functions; e.g. data cleansing
• Filtering, selection, segmentation
• File compares, change data capture
• Data type and file format conversion
• Expressions, validations, calculations
• Widely reusable text-based metadata
• Multiple UIs and metadata converters
• Replacements for many other sorts
• Best-of-breed dashboarding option
• Supports 24 COBIT control objectives
• Reasonable, perpetual-use pricing
The Sort Engine
CoSort was the first commercial sort package developed for open systems: CP/M in 1980, MS-DOS in 1982, Unix in 1985, and Windows in 1995. Repeatedly reported to be the the fastest commercial-grade sort product for SMP Unix systems, CoSort was also judged by PC Week to be the "top performing" sort on Windows. Being first and fast are just two reasons why CoSort is "The Open Systems Standard." For sorting details, see:
Solutions > Data Transformation > Sort/Merge


To accelerate your current sort function or convert from a legacy sort to CoSort, visit these links, respectively:
Products > CoSort > Sort PlugIns
Solutions > Sort Migration
Data Transformation, File Mapping, Reporting
For most CoSort users, however, speed is more than just how many gigabytes they can sort in a minute. It is also about how much data integration, staging, security, and presentation work they get done in one pass through their data. How many files and formats can you filter, sort, join, aggregate, remap, convert, and protect -- while producing custom delta, detail, and summary reports -- all in one job and I/O pass? For information on many of the combinable functions in CoSort V9, see:
Solutions > Data Transformation
Solutions > File Interchange
Solutions > Business Intelligence

Q. How can all that happen in one product, place and pass?
A. The CoSort Sort Control Language (SortCL) tool.
SortCL is a self-documenting 4GL and program for data definition and manipulation that you can run on the command line, in batch, from a free Java GUI, or from inside your applications. SortCL is a popular runtime and design alternative for data integration, staging, and reporting jobs previously coded in more complex, slower environments such as Perl and shell scripts, SQL procedures, ETL and ELT software, and legacy programs written in C, Java, VB, and COBOL. For details, see:

Products > CoSort > SortCL
Products > CoSort > SortCL GUI
Products > CoSort > SortCL Metadata
Products > CoSort > Metadata Converters
Products > CoSort > APIs

Accelerating Applications
CoSort is not only a standalone platform for data manipulation and management, but also a "point solution" for speeding ETL operations and tools (like DataStage and Informatica), database reorgs, SAS, Natural, and legacy COBOL programs -- wherever high-volume jobs need more speed. You can use CoSort Sort PlugIns and API calls, or SortCL scripts that perform and combine high-volume data filtering, transformation and reporting through the (more efficient) flat files or pipes that feed your applications. For details, see:
Solutions > ETL/DB Acceleration
Products > CoSort > COBOL Tools
Solutions > BI > Reporting Functions
FAQ > Flat Files

Integrated Field Encryption and Test Data
For information security and compliance officers, CoSort can protect sensitive data at rest or in motion, and thus mitigate the risks that sensitive files represent. Powerful field-level data encryption and masking functions are now built into SortCL so you can process and safeguard data at risk while allowing access to your files and everything around them. SortCL even produces an audit trail to verify compliance with privacy regulations. And, SortCL can further mask real data for testing, development, and outsourcing, or you can use its metadata in the CoSort test data package, RowGen. For details, see:
Solutions > Field Protection
Solutions > Test Data/Files

Additional information about CoSort's SortCL tool with respect to information security and other aspects of data governance -- including master data management, application auditing, data forensics and CobIT support -- is available in this section:
Solutions > Data Governance



Deliverables and Platform Availability
The CoSort V9 package includes:
• multiple third-party sort plug-ins
• the SortCL program (and GUI)
• third-party metadata converters (except MIMB)
• API libraries
• the COBOL tools described in this section.

Installation, tuning, and implementation documentation is extensive, and job logging options are described on the SortCL page. If you have technical questions, use the live chat feature or the contact page. For technical help, go to the Support section or contact your IRI representative.

CoSort for Unix has always been first to support commercially available Unix platforms, including the: HP 9000 (PA-RISC and Itanium 2 systems) running HP-UX 9-11; IBM RS/6000, pSeries, SP2, and ES9000 running AIX 3.2-5.3 and AIX/ESA; Bull DPX/2 and Escala servers (AIX); Compaq (Digital) AlphaServers running Tru64 (Digital/OSF) Unix 4-5 (and older DECsystems running RISC/Ultrix); SunFire, Sun UltraEnterprise and SPARCware (and compatibles like Fujitsu, Solbourne and CS6400) running SunOS 2-4 and Solaris 5-10; FreeBSD for Intel; Apple (Mac) PowerPC running OS X 10.3; NCR MP-RAS; Pyramid Reliant, Nile, MISserver and 9000[T] running DC/OSx; Sequent NUMA-Q and Symmetry (running ptx and DYNIX, COFF and ELF); Data General AViiON running DG/UX; Siemens-Nixdorf RM running SINIX; Silicon Graphics Challenge and lower running IRIX; plus Encore Infinity; Fujitsu DS/90; Amdahl 5990/5; Convex C; and Wyse 5-9000 and, other Intel-based processors running SCO Unix and UnixWare, Linux, Solaris, and Interactive Unix.

CoSort for Linux runs on 32- and 64-bit Intel x86 and Itanium hardware, and is certified Red Hat Ready and Novell YES! for SLES. CoSort for Linux runs on other chipsets as well, including IBM eServer x, i, p and zSeries (mainframe) platforms. Additional ports include SLES (SuSE) 8-10 on the IBM POWER5 (and 6) chip, and Linux variants like AsianUX, Centos, Debian, Fedora Core, Gentoo, Mandrake and Ubuntu.

CoSort for Windows runs on NT, XP, 2000/3, and Vista.


Licensing and Support
CoSort license fees are assessed one time for perpetual use (i.e. not a lease, unless you want one) and fairly reflect the performance benefits derived from its host hardware. Fees are configuration-dependent, and discounts apply for addition licenses procured simultaneously, for multi-site licensing, non-profit institutions, and ISV runtime royalties. Maintenance, including new releases and technical support, may be free the first year after licensing. For details, see:
FAQ > CoSort Pricing


Government and military agencies should note that the CoSort package is available through GSA Advantage (FSS 70), using either IRI's GSA Contract Award or that of an approved prime contractor. CoSort is otherwise sole-sourced in the USA by IRI, Inc. CoSort is also on the bidder lists for many U.S. city and state governments, and many companies' approved vendor lists. For details, see:
Customers > GSA Schedule

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» Resources

Click here to listen to the BI Network's Solution Spotlight on CoSort, an executive interview with IRI's VP of Business Development on the history and current state of the CoSort package. Learn how and why CoSort has folded fast sorting into the disciplines of ETL, reporting, and data security.
» Next Steps
1-800-333-SORT
1-321-777-8889
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